You're My Cup of Tea
by nothingbutRADtimes
Summary: She has to work insane hours; he practices from sun up to sun down. She is reserved, sweet, and yearning for something more; he is rambunctious, oblivious, and looking for something new. She is a barista, he is a football player, and they're exactly each other's cup of tea. Warning: Profanity
1. The Barista

**You're My Cup of Tea  
**Chapter One: The Barista

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

_This is the last thing I want to be doing on a warm, beautiful summer Friday night…_

She sighed dejectedly, continued wiping down the outside tables of the Taste of France Café she worked at. She swept a piece of onyx colored hair behind her ear once she finished. She collected her damp cloth, wandered back inside the café, and wiped any crumbs off the tables she passed on her way to the counter. As she returned to her stool behind the nook, a large group of people busted through the door, hollering and cheering.

"First game of the season—goes to us!"

"Woo hoo! Those sharks have nothing on us!"

"You guys did so great—"

"—Even though Naruto fumbled the ball!"

"HEY! It wasn't that bad! Neji picked it up and scored!"

She watched silently and fiddled with her nametag—which read _Hinata_—as the group of the college's athletes bombarded inside and formed a line before her. She stood and smiled politely, "H-hi. What can I get for you?"

The first people in the line were Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. He is the quarterback of the football team and the school's highest ranked senior—in other words, a prodigy. His eyes and hair were potentially the same midnight black color, even after a long football game. He was holding hands with a blossom colored hair girl, who was also highly ranked in their grade and volunteered at hospitals during her free time. Sakura smiled back, "Hi, Hinata! How's your night going?"

"It's g-going well; how's yours?" she replied.

"Great! We just won the game against the Mist Village University's Sharks!" Sakura exclaimed before tapping her point-dexter finger to her lips. "I think I'll have a slice of the coffee cake. What do you want, Sasuke?"

"Hn. Black coffee is fine," the male answered stoically. Hinata nodded, adding up the two items in the cash register and told the couple their total. Sasuke tossed the money onto the counter and instructed her to keep the change.

Once Hinata got the first couple's order out—since she was practically working solo—she attended to the following customers. Their orders were relatively simple, until the final person in line stepped up. The cerulean eyes pierced into Hinata's incredibly pale ones; his wolfish smile caused her breathe catch in her throat while her cheeks began to glow pink. She mentally cursed at herself for what she did next: "H-h-hi. What c-can I get f-for you?" She stuttered. She hardly ever stuttered these days; her parents had gotten her a speech therapist when she was in middle school, which ultimately solved the problem. However, things were different around this boy… _he_ was different.

"Hmmm. Do you have miso ramen here? Please tell me you do! I love miso ramen!" he pleaded.

"Um, I d-don't think many c-cafés h-have ramen… I'm s-sorry," she said while peering down her hands and biting her lower lip.

"Damn, that's not fair! Okay, well let me see," he trailed off, glancing at all the selections left behind the case on the counter. "I think I'll take a double chocolate chip muffin and a large hot chocolate! Yeah, that sounds good!"

She smiled and nodded, punching in the items he chose into the register. "That'll be $4.23, Naruto."

He grinned, "Hey, you know my name! Oh wait, you're in three of my classes, right? Of course you are! I remember." He fished out the correct amount of money and extended his arm out to her; their fingertips touched, making Hinata slightly gasp. He looked at her with a perplexed look on his face before he processed what must have happened.

"Did I shock you? Sorry about that!" he smiled again, sheepishly. She slid open the glass, retrieved the muffin with her gloved fingers, and laid it gently on a napkin with the café's logo on it. As she poured his hot chocolate, he busied himself by merely watching her. Secretly, of course; her cousin, Hyuga Neji, was sitting a few feet away.

She has pale, creamy eyes that seemed to look right into a person's soul; these eyes contrasted with the dark waves of hair that barely fell past her shoulders. Her ivory skin gleamed of the fluorescent lights inside the café. The café's uniform consisted of neon orange t-shirt, black trousers, and a black apron; her shirt hugged her normally hidden curves perfectly. Her personality was reserved, yet flamboyant; sweet, yet sassy; soft, yet strong. Overall, it was easy to say Hinata was beautiful.

He hadn't gotten much time to talk to her in the recent years, but they used to live within the same neighborhood when they were younger. They weren't necessarily close; however, they were friends, which, unfortunately, was more than he could say now. The only pair of people out of his circle of buddies that speak to Hinata on a daily basis are Neji and Sakura. Sakura, after severing all ties with her previous best friend—and boyfriend stealer—Yamanaka Ino, began chatting with Hinata regularly.

_I wonder how she sees me… _he thought, his eyes glazing over as he zoned out.

"N-naruto? Here's y-your hot chocolate a-and muffin," Hinata called softly, pushing his food and beverage towards him across the counter. He shook his head while crazily blinking his eyes, trying to drag himself into reality again; he replied with a loud, cheery 'thank you.'

It was at least a good hour until the crowd left, and three hours until Hinata would be able to leave. She worked the graveyard shift, which left her alone or with the few exceptions of a few coffee-addicted students cramming for tests. Although it wasn't a difficult task she had at the café, it was somewhat sorrowful to be alone for a majority of her day outside of her college courses.

_Since tomorrow is my day off, maybe I can hang out with Sakura and Tenten for a little bit… Or hit the gym… Or do anything that isn't sitting here, _she tried to think positively.


	2. Opportunity as it Knocks

**You're My Cup of Tea  
**Chapter Two: Opportunity as it Knocks

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto unfortunately.

* * *

Footsteps thudded on the rough, dirt ground as she ran, her onyx hair—which was tied into a ponytail—swishing in with her movement. Her spandex leggings and white Adidas tank top, surprisingly, did not cling to her somewhat sweaty body; she'd been running since six thirty this morning; it has only gotten warmer since. On her work-free days, she would try to exercise in the morning, maybe grab a bite to eat before returning home, and finally, get jazzed up for whatever her plans were that night.

_Grrrrowl… _Hinata stopped and bent down to put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She hadn't realized how exhausted she truly was; her stomach rumbled as a reminder. After inhaling and exhaling several times, she glanced upwards to notice Ichiraku's ramen bar. Although ramen is fattening, and she had just ran at least 7 miles, it sounded delectable. Shrugging her shoulders, she jogged towards the booth.

_Oh, no! Do I even have my wallet on me? _She inwardly panicked, touching her hips and stomach, realizing she didn't have her normal attire on her. She smacked her forehead, slowly beginning to turn away from the ramen bar.

"Hello, Hinata! Fancy seeing you here!" a voice said merrily.

Her eyes widened as she pivoted back around; she answered sweetly and almost inaudibly, "H-hey, Naruto. G-getting miso r-ramen again today?"

He laughed whole-heartedly, "You know it! Would you like to eat some? Where were you going?"

She casted her eyes down and bit at her lower lip. "I don't h-have m-my wallet on m-me; I was j-just jogging a-and w-wasn't planning to d-do anything involving money."

"No problem! It's on me! I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on Ichiraku's yummy ramen!" Her mouth formed an 'O,' as if about to object, but she couldn't say anything before Naruto touched her hand and dragged her to the stools.

_Oh my… He's touching my hand. MY hand. Oh, I am going to faint,_ Hinata thought, her eyes becoming hazy.

* * *

"T-thank you s-so much for lunch, N-naruto," Hinata smiled timidly. "I'll pay you b-back."

"No! It's alright, Hinata! Keep your money; I know you work hard for it," he grinned in return. "Ah—I have to rush to practice now… I'll see you around, okay?"

She nodded numbly, not knowing what else to do; she was too focused on the fact that she'd spent almost two hours with her crush. As she began wandering in the opposite direction that Naruto was traveling in, he called out to her.

"Hinata! Promise you'll come to the next game?"

Heat—undeniable heat—hurried to her cheeks, darkening her skin shade to a crimson. She spun around to face him, and without saying any words, he already knew her answer. His smile grew in tenfold. He threw up one of his arms; hand balled into a fist, and exclaimed, "My next touchdown is for you!" He scurried off, in the general direction of the bustling city, and left her standing here, near the Ichiraku's Ramen Bar.

She was alone, yet completely happy.

* * *

Hinata returned home at 1:45 PM, and had no current plans for that afternoon or that night. She took a fifteen minute shower, continued reading her fashion magazine that she had started a week previous, and sketched a new design for a dress. She was undecided on the dress's train, so she drew, erased, redrew, erased, and repeated this process numerous times.

Giving up on the idea, she shoved the artistic paper to the side and removed herself from her study; she headed to the kitchen. She baked twelve cupcakes, smothered them with lavender colored frosting, and decorated each one with different sprinkles. Who were they for, she didn't know.

_Maybe I could bring them into the café tomorrow… I don't think the manager would mind, _Hinata told herself. Something clicked in her brain. _Shit! Next week I have midterms in three of my classes. I guess I should study since I'm not doing anything right now._

She grabbed her messenger bag from a seat propped around her dining room table and pulled her mathematic textbook and astronomy textbook from the leather bag. She unzipped one of the pouches and snatched a mechanical pencil.

_Hm. The constellations are where… The calculus equation goes like what… Ugh,_ she thought grumpily. She wished she were incredibly intelligent and observant like her cousin, Neji. He was so great at everything; he was the golden goose of their family while she was merely the shadow casted by the goose in his nest.

_BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ. _

Hinata noticed the incessant vibration and searched for her phone. Where had she put it again? She checked her bedroom, the kitchen, and even the bathroom! It was nowhere to be found. She returned to the dining room table where she had been doing homework.

_BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ._

Where was the damn phone at? She lifted a few pieces of loose papers that had printed study guides on them, and lo behold! There her fancy smartphone was. It had two text messages from Sakura.

"Hey girl! What are you doing tonight?" Hinata said, reading the texts aloud, "Hinata! Answer me!" She laughed, and suddenly received another text from her petal-haired friend. "I'm sure you would have more fun with me and a few other pals tonight. You're probably studying for midterms, aren't you?!"

Oh boy; it was almost depressing how predictable her actions were.

Hinata weighed her options a few times, internally listing pros and cons between the two. Stay home, go out; stay home, go out. She bit her lower lip, telling herself not to be so afraid of living, and her fingers replied to Sakura's text.

"Count me in," it read.

Within a few minutes, her phone buzzed again. Hinata, once more, read the text aloud to herself, "Good. Wear the dress in the transparent bag I left on the knob of your front door." She stared blankly at the smiley face at the end of Sakura's text message. What dress on her apartment door?

She set her smartphone down on the circular table and shuffled to her apartment's front door. When she opened it, she heard a quiet noise as the bagged gown hit the floor. She bent down, grabbed the hanger, and stood up straight. She kicked the door closed gently and began sliding the zipper down to reveal a beautiful charcoal dress. Like a giddy child, she finished unzipping it and tossed the clear covering to the nearest piece of furniture. She ran to her room to try it on; suprisingly it was the correct size and hugged her curves well.

_But God, is this dress short. It barley passes mid-thigh,_ Hinata thought. Should she put on stockings? Should she not wear the dress at all? _No, no, no. That'd be rude... Sakura bought this dress—or lent it to me—and I have to wear it tonight. _

And so she did. She wore the little black dress with bright scarlet lipstick and matching red pumps. There wasn't one pair of eyes that didn't at least glance in her direction when she stepped foot into the nightclub.

* * *

A/N: Sooo, how was it everyone? Good, I hope? (: Thank you for reading.


	3. Bonding

**You're My Cup of Tea**  
Chapter 3: Bonding

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Those eyes that met her own when she waltzed into the nightclub were several people she knew—one belonging to a prideful Sakura, a second to a sullen Sasuke, another to a stunned Naruto, and a fourth to a mortified Neji.

Oh shit; she had really done it this time.

Hinata transferred her unique colored eyes back to Sakura and her boyfriend; Sasuke was handing the pink-haired beauty a twenty dollar bill. Putting two and two together, obviously, they had made a bet on whether or not she would wear the dress.

She tried to move towards her friends, who were seated at the bar; however, the herds of people barricaded her path. Before she could take an inch, she felt a cold, strong hand on her shoulder.

"Hinata, what the _hell_ are you wearing," the voice of the hand hissed. It was supposed to come out as a question, but it didn't sound like it.

Neji was upset, maybe even disappointed, and she was the source of the emotions. Most people know Neji as an indifferent bastard, but Hinata knew better. He looked out for her like they were siblings; he cared for her and didn't want anyone to take advantage of such a reserved, kind-hearted person. Especially when that person was his blood.

"N-neji… It's an outfit S-sakura let me b-borrow," she answered.

"It's disgraceful. It shows too much."

"It's j-just a dress—"

"More like a piece of cloth."

"I think it looks n-nice on me. I w-wanted a change, and t-that's what this dress is h-helping me accomplish." She was now facing him. Her eyes were not meeting his; instead, they were glaring at his shoes. "Why can't you just accept that I'm my own person and be a little joyful that I'm c-coming out of my shell?"

"Hinata, that's not the problem here. Don't guilt-trip me."

"I'm doing n-no such thing. I just want to live a little. Right now, I'm only seen as a college girl working as a barista," she sighed. She rubbed her temples and peered directly into Neji's white eyes. Her eyes, exactly like his, were sad; his eyes were slowly aging into something other than anger—they were sad, too.

"Alright, alright… Go have fun tonight. But don't do anything stupid. I mean it," he replied in monotone. Without another word stated, he turned around and dissolved into the crowd.

Hinata, after making her way to her pals seated at the bar, she didn't feel as frustrated. She actually felt at peace. Kiba, a brunette with a wolfish smile, moved from his barstool and motioned for her to sit; she smile thankfully at him.

"Hina—hey! How's the café without me?" Kiba aksed her, winking.

She smiled back. "It's… definitely quieter. S-some girls still come in, asking for you."

"Do they! That is pretty funny. Being on the football team is more exciting—but I don't get to kick it with you every day. That's the only downfall."

Figuring he was teasing, she somewhat punched his arm and said, "Oh, stop it. I'm going to attend the next game for N-naruto. Maybe I'll see you there."

Although Kiba's smile faltered, Hinata had already shifted her attention to her girlfriends that surrounded her. She secretly peeked at Naruto every chance she got, too; he was rather wonderful at dancing.

* * *

Everyone split up after one in the morning; Sasuke, Naruto, and Kiba went elsewhere together, Tenten went back to her own condo with Neji, and Hinata and Sakura returned to the white-eyed girl's apartment.

"I know you have class bright and early tomorrow," Sakura admitted. "But thanks for letting me stay over! It's been a while since we've gotten to hang."

"I understand; you've been b-busy with Sasuke since he returned from studying a-abroad."

"Yeah, I really missed him, you know? I noticed that you and Naruto are becoming closer."

Hinata blushed, "O-oh, well I-I guess so…"

"Don't give me that! I saw you glancing at him in the club. Sasuke told me Naruto called him after you guys' date, too!"

"It w-was not a d-date. I simply ran into him."

"UH-HUH," Sakura emphasized.

"Nope."

"Yes."

"NO."

"YES." She laughed, "It's so cute how innocent you guys are. You know, you two _could _just date, and it wouldn't be a crime. Neji might even give you his blessing!"

_Ha. Neji give me his blessing to date someone? Someone who is somewhat considered a longtime friend? Someone on the same football team as him? Neji didn't even give me his damn blessing to wear a dress! _The dark haired woman scoffed inwardly.

"Hey, Hina," Sakura said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Are you happy? I mean, you seem content, but are you truly happy with the way college is going for you?"

"I-I am. I mean, we're seniors and I've never been in any of the campus contests, any award ceremonies, and I've never been o-on a date. So... Basically, I'm as happy as I could be without any of those things."

"That doesn't sound much like happiness to me."

Hinata sighed, "I have to work tomorrow, Sakura. Could w-we talk about this some other time?"

Her friend nodded slowly, "Okay. Goodnight, and thank you for letting me stay."

Hinata smiled halfheartedly before she shuffled to her bedroom. She kicked off the shoes, removed the little make up she had applied, and exchanged the dress for comfy sweats and a matching tank top. While crawling into bed she repeated Sakura's words over and over in her head. Maybe she wasn't really content. Maybe that's just what she constantly told herself.

* * *

When Hinata got up the following morning, dressed in her barista attire, she noticed the blankets were folded neatly on the arm of the couch. Sakura had left; in her tracks, she had also left a note.

_Good morning sunshine! Sorry to leave without saying anything face to face. I hope you aren't too mad at me for last night… Love you and see you later!_

Honestly, Hinata had felt bad for how she somewhat snapped at her best friend. Sakura was just trying to help; she's always trying to help. Hinata set the note down on the blanket pile and spoke to herself, "I really need to talk to her."

She snatched her nametag off the kitchen counter along with her messenger bag and she evacuated her apartment. Off to work she went.

She and another co-worker, Shino, were the only two at the café at five forty-five in the morning. Most cafes, including Starbucks, open at six; however, this café opened at five thirty. It allowed people getting off of graveyard shifts to get coffee and drive home safely, and it allowed people who had an occupation that required them being to work at six to grab a drink. It a smart idea on the café owner's part.

"How's school going?" Shino asked while starting a mug of coffee. His fingers pressed numerous buttons and the coffee machine began making a noise.

"It's not bad; I'm d-doing well. My least favorite classes are calculus and astronomy t-though."

"Ah, I'm a wiz in math, if you ever need help."

"Thanks," Hinata smiled at his kind offer. "I just need to finish this year and I-I'm off to travel."

"Where would you go?"

"Anywhere, I guess. I really would enjoy traveling to Brazil or Costa Rica or Europe."

"Ah, Europe has some rad sights. If I were you, I'd go there first." The coffee machine beeped, he removed the pot and poured himself a cup. He motioned it towards her and she politely shook her head. He sipped from the cup, "You only have another eight months in school, if it's any consolation."

Hianta sweat dropped; Shino's jokes could be so dry, so sarcastic. "Is this what you do w-when you aren't producing music? You make other people's c-coffee?"

He rolled his eyes and gave a tiny smirk.

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A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed; I truly appreciate it! (: I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
Read & Review.


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